In October 1751, Colonel Crawfurd, commanding at Fort William, received from head-quarters information about Glenevis’s and Angus’s share in the treasure. Fassifern, Lochiel’s brother and representative, was also denounced. The Colonel took to the duties of policeman with a will, and the following letter from him describes his arrest of the accused:—
From Lieut.-Col. Crawfurd to Churchill
Cumberland Papers.
Fort William: Oct. 12, 1751.
... ‘When I received the Packet from the Express, I without hesitation affected a surprise and concern at receiving the news of our Cloaths being stranded, and pretended to consult him about the nearest way through the Hills to Aberdeen, near which Place I saw the misfortune had happened; this answerd extremely well in blinding our good Neighbours in the Town of Maryburgh,[93] who are for the greatest part ready enough to give Intelligence to the Country, of any Movements made by the Garrison. I then employed Captn. Jones to execute the warrant upon Fassifarn, and that he might be at no loss in not knowing the Man or the Country, I sent Mr. Gardiner along with him, whose zeal and readiness to assist you are no strangers to. They pretended to go in the German Boat on a fishing scheme, and turning up Lochiel, they soon got to his house, and secured him and every Thing of Paper Kind, bringing all to the Garrison.
‘As soon as they were set out for Fassifarn I pretended to take a walk out of the Garrison, to see if I coud make a purchase of Hay for my Horses, and taking Mr. Douglas, the Sheriff substitute, out with me,[94] by way of shewing me the Road and Country, I allowed only two more officers to accompany me, that we might give no suspicion of our Intentions, which would have been soon discovered had I allowed more or sent a Party.
‘However, notwithstanding these precautions, we were told at going to the House, that Glen Nevis was walk’d out with his Brother in Law, Dungallon, and still persisting that we shoud be glad to see Glen Nevis, to talk with him about his Hay, I prevailed on his wife to send a messenger for him into the Fields, which having done I took care, that no other Intelligence should go from the House, and then proceeded to search for his Papers: but I soon perceived that a Consciousness of Guilt, had made him secrete almost every Paper, and the hearing that Dungallon[95] had come to his House in the Middle of the preceeding Night, confirmed me in my suspicions that we should see no more of Glen Eves or Dungallon. I then ordered the Parties who were in readiness to go round the Hill, and come down upon the Head of the Glen, making a strict search, but it was to no purpose. You’ll please to observe that Dungallon, by way of blinding Douglas, had wrote him on the Wednesday, that it woud be some Days before he coud be in this part of the Country, and yet that very night, near the middle of it, did he come to Glen Eves’ house, and for what Intention may be easily guessed.
‘It is however some satisfaction that notwithstanding the pains they have been at, to conceal their treasonable practices, yet by their remissness I have found some Old Letters among Cloaths, which will greatly help to put their transactions in a proper light, and part of wch I have now enclosed for your perusal. [The letters enclosed are not in the Cumberland Papers.] The Letter I have marked No. 1. is a Letter from Glen Evis to his brother Angus Cameron, in the beginning of which you’ll see that Fassifarn and he are not in concert, and that Fassifarn complains of them both, as I imagine for having got too great a share of the money, and Glen Eves’ hint to Angus is, not to look upon Fassifarn as his friend.
‘In No. 2. You see Angus in his proper Colours appointing the Congress with Cluny (in December 1749); and it would not be amiss that the Name of the Place, Catlaick, should be well observed on that worthy Gentleman’s Account. You see that Loch Gary was in the Country, and on what accounts; likewise the errand of young Glengary. Whether the “Crookshanks” there aludes to Cluny as a Cant word for his having a wry Neck, or to a Brother of Glen Evis [Samuel, the spy] who is an officer in the French Service, and has crooked legs, I am not certain, but I believe it is to the Latter.
‘You will likewise observe by this letter that a correction is to be made in the key of your Intercepted Letter, that Angus is Brother to Glen Eves and not to Fassifarn. I daresay you are no stranger to the part that Angus has Acted from the beginning in relation to the great Money Affair, and that no one excepting Cluny knows more of it. I am fully persuaded that Mrs. Chalmers (Mrs. Archibald Cameron) is charged with orders upon his Bank stock, however unwilling he may be to part with it⸺’